Vegan Caesar Salad is full of garlicky flavour with crunchy cashew bacon, crispy chickpea croutons and a lemon tahini dressing. It’s dairy-free and gluten-free, and works well with kale or romaine lettuce. Enjoy it as a side salad or pot luck dish!
This kale caesar salad is absolutely my favorite variation of caesar salad. I’ve been making versions of this salad for years, but it wasn’t until I brought it to a holiday gathering last month that I decided to share it on the blog. Someone asked for the recipe, so I thought it was a good time to publish it.
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Lemon tahini dressing (a simple dressing with tahini, garlic, lemon, salt, pepper and water)
- Cashew bacon (cashews seasoned with maple syrup, tamari, smoked paprika, oil and pepper)
- Crispy chickpeas (you can buy or make them)
- Fresh kale (torn and massaged)
How to make vegan kale caesar salad
There are a few steps to follow, but this salad is actually pretty simple to make.
Prepare the dressing
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Prepare the cashew bacon
- Add the cashews and seasoning to a bowl and toss until well coated.
- Spread the cashews out on a sheet pan and bake on 350F for about 15 minutes. Let them cool on the pan.
Prepare the crispy chickpeas
- These air fryer chickpeas are my go-to. But you can also buy them. They’re usually in the organic snack section of your grocery store.
Assemble the salad
- Add the kale to a large bowl and massage with your fingers. This will help it shrink in size and become more tender.
- Pour on the dressing and add the chickpeas and cashews. Toss until everything is well combined.
Frequently asked questions
While I would wait to assemble the salad until just before serving, you can prepare the kale, dressing, cashews and chickpeas in advance. Just store them separately and assemble when ready to enjoy.
I don’t recommend it. While tamari is similar to soy sauce, it has a thicker consistency and it’s gluten-free. (Soy sauce typically includes wheat so it’s not gluten-free). I’ve actually made the cashew bacon with soy sauce and it doesn’t have the same taste. The cashews also baked faster and burned a little.
If the tahini dressing is stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it should last for 4-5 days.
Just place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. While I’ve enjoyed this salad up to two days after making it, just note that the cashews and chickpeas will get soft. The kale, however, holds up well leftover.
Additional tips and suggestions
- If you don’t need this salad to be gluten-free, you can substitute croutons for the chickpeas (or add both!) These everything bagel croutons are great in caesar salads. (To keep it vegan, make sure the bread for your croutons is vegan).
- It’s important to massage the kale so the salad isn’t tough. Just tear it into small pieces, add to a large bowl and massage with your fingers. The kale with become tender and shrink a bit in size. You can add a sprinkle of salt or drizzle of olive oil to help it along, but I usually keep it plain.
- The dressing is easy and customizable:
- It’s garlicky, so if you like it a little less garlicky, just use one clove of garlic instead of two.
- To make it more lemony, use more lemon juice and/or add some zest.
- For a thicker consistency, just you less water.
- Feel free to add more or less salt and pepper to suit your taste.
What to serve with caesar salad
If you make this vegan caesar salad, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Vegan Caesar Salad with Cashew Bacon
Ingredients
For the lemon tahini dressing:
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 4-5 tablespoons water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the cashew bacon:
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium tamari
- 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the remainder of the salad:
- 8 cups fresh kale, packed, stems removed and torn
- 1 1/2 cups crispy chickpeas
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth. You should get about half a cup of dressing.
- Make the cashew bacon: Pre-heat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, add the cashews, maple syrup, tamari, oil, paprika and pepper. Stir until the cashews are well coated. Spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them as they start to burn quickly. Remove from oven and let cool fully on baking sheet. They get crunchy as they cool.
- Assemble the salad: Add the kale to a large bowl and massage with your fingers for a few minutes until it starts to reduce in size. Add the dressing, cashews and chickpeas and toss until well combined. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The dressing is garlicky. If you like it a little less garlicky, just use one clove instead of two. You can also add more lemon juice if you like, or use less water if you like a thicker consistency. Also, feel free to add more or less salt and pepper to taste.
- To prep this salad in advance, just prepare and store everything separately and assemble when ready to enjoy. Store the prepped kale and dressing in the refrigerator and the cashews and chickpeas in containers at room temperature.
- If you don’t have kale, you can use romaine lettuce or other hearty greens.
Nutrition Facts per Serving
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.
Did you make this recipe or have any questions?
I love reading your comments and addressing your questions, so please leave your comments and ratings or questions below!
I love a kale caesar because kale holds up so beautifully against the dressing. Absolutely love your approach in creating the vegan option and the cashew bacon brings such delightful flavors. This is a must try!
Thanks Milena. That’s one of the reasons why I love kale caesars too!
Oh my word, this salad looks mouthwatering! I love how creamy it looks…caesar salad is one of my faves, so I’m glad that you’ve made this awesome vegan option! Those cashews are genius!!
Thanks Haylie! Caesar salads are a favourite in our house!
I just love kale salads and that lemon tahini dressing is the perfect topper! I’ve never tried cashew or coconut bacon and am intrigued by that — it must add so much savory flavor!
It definitely adds flavour and a whole lot of crunch!
What a delicious and hearty salad Leanne! I love that it contains vegan bacon!
Thanks Christie!
I’m so happy to hear that you are safe and still well stocked with fresh fruits and veggies! Seven days is a long time to be stuck at home. I would guess you’ve been getting out for some snow shoeing or at least to shovel some of that crazy snow.😂. This salad looks phenomenal and that cashew bacon is definitely drool worthy!! My sugar bugs aren’t the biggest fans of kale, but they love romaine so I will definitely be making this one. Thanks for another great recipe and stay safe and warm Leanne!
Thanks so much Tasia! The weather has actually been quite lovely (besides for the storm), so we were able to get out and enjoy winter. The roads are in much better shape now and they finally lifted the state of emergency!
I am so intrigued by this recipe, Leanne! I am so glad to hear you’re ok and stocked up with fresh fruit and veg. Hope the blizzard conditions pass and don’t come back. Unfortunately the weather is crazy everywhere these days!
Thanks Katerina! Things are slowly getting back to normal!
I am a huge fan of any kale salad, so this is right up my alley! I can’t wait to try this, especially the cashew bacon!
Thanks Alex! Hope you like it!
Aah, it’s torture because I have EVERYTHING I need to make this salad except the tahini, for the dressing! I’m waiting for it to come in the mail today, haha! When it comes I’m totally trying this. That cashew bacon looks incredible! I love, love kale salads. Looks so yummy Leanne! And I hope you get back to a state of normalcy soon!
Thanks Katherine! I hope that tahini arrived so you can give this salad a try! 😉
What a delicious option for my vegan friends Leanne. I’m always looking to add new vegan recipes to my repertoire. My friend Nancy thanks you!
Thanks Mary Ann! I hope Nancy likes it! 😉
Leanne, such a lovely salad, and the cashew bacon is brilliant! My family would love this salad! I can’t believe you’ve gone so long without being able to go to the supermarket. We’d probably starve after 2 days! Stay warm and cozy, my friend!
Thanks for the well wishes Kelly! They did open the grocery stores for limited times so people could stock up, but we were well stocked so decided to avoid the crowds! Things are getting back to normal now.
Hoping the end is in sight for you, there 🙂 Glad you were well-stocked (I always am, too 🙂 This looks like fabulous food to wait out the recovery. I’m intrigued by the cashew bacon. I must pass this along to my (vegetarian) daughter!
Thanks Jennifer! We’re slowly getting back to normal here, thankfully!
I’m glad you’re stocked on food, especially fresh produce. I always worry that if the apocalypse comes I’ll be the one with 10,000 bags of chocolate chips and absolutely zero real food to eat. . .maybe I’ll be able to trade? This salad sounds awesome! I’m really curious about the cashew bacon and I think I’ll have to try it soon. Stay safe, girl!
Haha! You would totally be able to trade. The barter system is alive and well in times like this. And chocolate chips would be sought after 😉 Thanks Kelsie!
I still can’t believe we are on day 7! Crazy! We’re pretty stocked up too…good thing because I can’t imagine trying to navigate those grocery stores!! This caesar salad looks so delicious, Leanne and love the use of kale. And with those chickpeas and cashews it must make for the most hearty and delicious lunch! Pinned! Stay warm 🙂
This has been a wild week! It’s good to see things slowly getting back to normal. I missed the grocery stores 😉 Thanks Dawn and happy weekend!